I have just finished my lovely week-long spring break and with it came new revelations about old interests of mine.
Firstly, I love books. I love the way they look, the way they feel, and even the way they smell (The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien is a best-smeller--pun intended!). Cheesy jokes aside, there is just something about sitting down to read a good book that makes me truly happy. And the feeling I get from cracking open a book for the first time--or even the second or third--just can't be duplicated by reading the exact same story from a computer screen or an e-reader. As much as I want to begin to embrace technology and new forms of media, my love for turning the page into a brand new world will never change.
Secondly, I love old movies and TV shows. The black and white kind. With the overacting and sub-par special effects. Old movies aren't as glamorous as today's movies, but in some ways they are more glamorous. I am absolutely delighted by the story of It's a Wonderful Life; I am shocked, scared, and, quite frankly, mesmerized by Hitchcock's Psycho; I watch The Twilight Zone religiously; and any movie with Mae West kills me. "Peel me a grape!" That's just good stuff.
I'm so glad I had a week to relax and do some of the things I love. In this technological age, we often get lost in our fast-paced pursuits. Sometimes it's nice to just take a breather, a minute to ourselves, and enjoy the simpler things in life. The thing is, we shouldn't have to wait until spring break or any other vacation to suck the marrow out of life. Find the time to do what makes you happy because when you're not bogged down with life, you just might start to live.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Ugh.
I think I've been pretty nice to technology thus far. My last post went so far as to praise it! This one will be different, however. I think the crotchety old lady in me has been raging to break out of her 19-year-old prison as of late. Let the (hopefully comical) venting begin!
Firstly, I would like to talk about an activity that has been a major part of my life in recent weeks: finding credible sources for seemingly endless research papers. I must say, being in college helps. I have access to a library catalog with tons of databases and thousands of articles. I don't have to sort through millions of Google links that have nothing to do with my topic. Even the magical library system doesn't help, however, when the database tells me it has an article and then refuses to let me see it. Why the tease, Proquest, why? If I can't read it, don't act like you can get me access to it, because I only end up wallowing in despair over the loss of a potentially awesome resource.
In my last post, I talked about the power of technology, but really, there are some instances when it has so little power that it baffles me. Take my Ipod, for example. One day, it just stopped working. It wouldn't turn on and it was making annoying clicking sounds. I hadn't used it in awhile and it had been just sitting on its dock, charging. I turned on the dock, which was working fine. I plugged the Ipod into the computer and it turned on. So it had been dead! (Yes, even my crazy brain can figure out some technological problems using simple logic.) However, when I plugged it back into the dock, it still didn't want to work. The problem? The dock was dusty. When I cleaned it off, everything worked again. The powerful Ipod, arguably the technological advance of the century, had been momentarily defeated by...dust. My dead skin cells. Maybe this means I need to clean a bit more often, but more importantly, I think it proves that through all of these technological advancements, HUMANS STILL RULE!!!
Last complaint, I promise. What in the name of all that is good and holy is going on with Youtube? It is so slow! How am I supposed to get my fix of nerdy Vlogbrothers videos, unintentionally hilarious K-pop music videos, and Adele songs that I attempt to sing along to, when there is constant buffering and the need to lower video quality? Technological universe, hear my plea! Make Youtube the glorious place it once was, where I could watch Harry Potter Puppet Pals without having to wait for 15 minutes for the thing to load!
Next post will be nicer. I just had a list of things that were bugging me and now all of those things can be crossed off! Old lady: satisfied. Thanks, blogosphere!
Firstly, I would like to talk about an activity that has been a major part of my life in recent weeks: finding credible sources for seemingly endless research papers. I must say, being in college helps. I have access to a library catalog with tons of databases and thousands of articles. I don't have to sort through millions of Google links that have nothing to do with my topic. Even the magical library system doesn't help, however, when the database tells me it has an article and then refuses to let me see it. Why the tease, Proquest, why? If I can't read it, don't act like you can get me access to it, because I only end up wallowing in despair over the loss of a potentially awesome resource.
In my last post, I talked about the power of technology, but really, there are some instances when it has so little power that it baffles me. Take my Ipod, for example. One day, it just stopped working. It wouldn't turn on and it was making annoying clicking sounds. I hadn't used it in awhile and it had been just sitting on its dock, charging. I turned on the dock, which was working fine. I plugged the Ipod into the computer and it turned on. So it had been dead! (Yes, even my crazy brain can figure out some technological problems using simple logic.) However, when I plugged it back into the dock, it still didn't want to work. The problem? The dock was dusty. When I cleaned it off, everything worked again. The powerful Ipod, arguably the technological advance of the century, had been momentarily defeated by...dust. My dead skin cells. Maybe this means I need to clean a bit more often, but more importantly, I think it proves that through all of these technological advancements, HUMANS STILL RULE!!!
Last complaint, I promise. What in the name of all that is good and holy is going on with Youtube? It is so slow! How am I supposed to get my fix of nerdy Vlogbrothers videos, unintentionally hilarious K-pop music videos, and Adele songs that I attempt to sing along to, when there is constant buffering and the need to lower video quality? Technological universe, hear my plea! Make Youtube the glorious place it once was, where I could watch Harry Potter Puppet Pals without having to wait for 15 minutes for the thing to load!
Next post will be nicer. I just had a list of things that were bugging me and now all of those things can be crossed off! Old lady: satisfied. Thanks, blogosphere!
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